I’m so happy to be able to share Leticia’s story with all of you, as our very first featured Beauty Detox Transformation story! We’re going to be featuring these community transformation stories here on a monthly basis, so we can continue to inspire each other as a community…and cheer each other on. If you have one you’d like to share, please email us at transformation@kimberlysnyder.net.

Leticia, a Patient Care Coordinator from Virginia, was able to drop 65 lbs of baby weight and clear her skin up by following the Beauty Detox philosophy.  Read her inspiring story below:

How long have you been following the Beauty Detox philosophy? Was it easy to incorporate it into your lifestyle?

I started with the launch of Beauty Detox Solution, which was an easy transition into my lifestyle because I was ready to do something about my digestion problems. As soon as I read the “light to heavy” approach it, changed my life!  I found the book really easy to understand and follow and I relate to her because being from another country, I had an idea of other natural foods, but just didn’t know how to introduce them into my life.  Kimberly has so many ideas and easy to follow programs.

What is your daily regimen? Give us an example of a typical meal plan and exercise routines.

Today I had a glass of water, warm water with juice of half a lemon, breakfast:banana buckwheat smoothie with chia seeds, mid-morning:rolled oats with 1/2 an avocado, some almond milk, 2tbs hemps seeds and 1tbs flaxseed meal.  For lunch(as I’m typing!) huge lettuce salad with tomatoes, carrots, radishes, red cabbage with raw apple cider vinegar, tahini, and almond butter dressing (it’s so big, this is all I’m having for lunch!) Dinner will be Raw Gorilla Taco Wraps from Beauty Detox Foods. I also alternate Pilates and body pump workouts.

How do you feel after adopting the Beauty Detox lifestyle? What changes have you experienced?

I feel a million times better; after years of struggling with digestion problems I finally found a long term solution that helps me lose weight and feel/look better.  Just the fact that I don’t want coffee anymore amazes me! I don’t break out anymore, I don’t even need lotion, my skin is just perfect, not dry and not oily. My hair is thick and I also started getting white hair during my last pregnancy (when I’m pregnant I crave deli sandwiches,it’s horrible) and now it’s all gone!

How has this impacted your outlook on life?

I’m just a happier person now that I don’t have to worry about my “colon health” if I can put it that way.  Now that I’m not all “backed up” anymore, I feel happy and free. I have energy to do things, and I smile more.  I tell everybody about the Beauty Detox lifestyle and it makes me feel great that I can inspire others.

What words of encouragement do you have for others in the Beauty Detox Community?

I think that the most important thing is to be realistic and know that the step you are taking is for a better and healthier you. The feeling of empowerment when you look back at those pictures and you see this amazing new you is worth every craving for unhealthy choices you might have.

What helped me the most was to set realistic goals. I gained 65lbs during my last pregnancy, and after having the baby I wanted to lose 35 more lbs, but it was hard and I kept repeating to myself “35 lbs.”  Until one day I told myself I will do 5lbs at a time, and that’s when I started losing the weight. Small steps, small victories, and… now, the baby is 10 months, I lost 65lbs, I feel and look better than when I was 20 and I’m HAPPY.  Plan your meals, be prepared and don’t give up!

Want to share YOUR Beauty Detox Transformation?  Help us inspire others by emailing your story to: transformation@kimberlysnyder.net !

I just got back from an incredible and super fun trip to London and Paris that I wanted to share with you. Take a few minutes to live the trip with me!

What was so special about the trip for me was that the last few times I’ve been to London, it has been to support clients on movie press tours as their nutritionist. But this trip was actually about my own stuff- and getting to talk about my philosophy and work and books. What an honor and a dream to be discussing it across the pond!!

Above, I had a meeting with my whole publishing office over there, to explain the philosophy to them firsthand. I love them all, and they all got to try the Glowing Green Smoothie, many of them for the first time! I so appreciate their support over there.

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Yes, they still have these classic phone booths. Tally ho!

During the press tour, we had drivers to take us to all the different interviews and appointments all over London. So we got to see so much the whole time, which was a real blessing.

Here are some pics from a public demo of the Glowing Green Smoothie and
short discussion I gave in Sloane Square.

Then on to doing radio shows!

Walking around Soho to editor and journalist meetings there at The Century Club. Oh and by the way, did I mention every day we were in London it was sunny and warm?!!

In one of London’s many parks doing videos for various websites…

And in between meetings we drove by Buckingham Palace. Ok, that doesn’t happen in LA or NY. Here I am, just passing by a huge palace between interviews, laa di daa!

Above- the Queen’s guards, and below, the beautiful statues in front of the palace.

How striking does Big Ben look against the clear blue sky?

Below, here I am with the absolutely lovely and spirited Lisa, who is part of the marketing team that works with my publisher. We are having lunch in a bright little corner of Covent Gardens between appointments. I got a big huge green salad and a dairy-free potato and leek soup.

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Walking up to (one of) the gates of Kensington Palace.

More radio…and video interviews!

I love the ubiquitous “Underground” signs. I also love how it’s referred to as the “tube”, but people pronounce it as “chuube”!

What else was I eating? Well one night we found this amazing vegetarian Indian restaurant. I got a lentil and potato dosa, and shared daal and some aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower) with rice. I always take my digestive enzymes with me. I am really strict with no dairy no matter what, no matter where I am, but when traveling I will be more lax about things like white rice, which I wouldn’t eat at home very often.

I also found lots of quinoa! It is invading London I think. Two different restaurants had it- and I asked them to toss it with greens to make me enormous (as you can see!) quinoa-greens salad. Beet salads, non-dairy veggie curries, hummus were all easy to find everywhere as well.

Kensington Gardens!

Ok so when you’re in London you have to go to some pubs. How can you not? It’s part of the local culture! As you know, I am not a huge beer drinker, but when I was there I did indulge in my favorite beer, which was on draft- Guinness! I do admit I love the taste. We had a blast, and I definitely don’t worry about some treats here and there. As long as you follow the big picture most of the time, you can enjoy your life too, and those treats won’t set you back.

At Press Association, like the version of the US’s, “Associated Press” for interviews.

Harrod’s at night. Spectacular! London I love you so much!!

But now on to…Paris!

Is there anything better than Paris on a sunny day?

Yes! A sunny day NOT in the peak of the tourist season, as we were lucky enough to find ourselves in. I couldn’t have created a better time to be there.

Starting the day with a leisurely day sitting at an outdoor cafe, chilling and people watching, which is one of the prime activities in Paris. I think it’s absolutely great! What’s with all the rushing around us Americans always do all day?? I think we could all really learn from these European practices, especially just going to the cafe.

Crepes all around… but for me, a huge salad with haricots verts (green beans), beets and avocado. Yummy!

I’ve never seen the Louvre be so…uncrowded. Ah, magnifique, being outside in the amazing weather surrounded by centuries’ old vaults of some of the world’s best artwork!

I could not help but visit this chocolate shop we found, L’Atelier Du Chocolate, where I met the owner and chocalatier herself (imagine if you made chocolate treats for a living!). I explained we wanted dark chocolate “sans lait” (no milk) and she led us to her bins of the most amazing, dark chocolates ever.

Arc de Triomphe!

Oops this is a bit out of order, but this is walking through part of the Louvre, where you can see the enclosed sculpture gardens and see the pyramid peaking through outside!

I absolutely love the “green back” book sellers, which line the banks of the Seine. I could spend hours sorting through the old books and goodies (and I did!).

Notre Dame, oldest church in Paris, in all her glory!

Okay here is what we ate for dinner one night. Yes, at a leisurely outdoor cafe- my favorite way of dining! I WILL indulge in some gluten here and again, especially when I am traveling. I just take digestive enzymes and don’t worry about it. It’s not like I eat it every day…and I was in Paris!

Here, I started with a big green salad. And then shared spaghetti puttanesca (with no anchovy), and a cheese-less pizza with tons of veggies and topped with raw arugula. Oh yes, and a delicious red wine. Hmm, hmm!!

Here I am, a little sleepy-eyed after waking up from a nap on the lawns at the base of the Eiffel Tower. It was like waking up…and still being in the dream!

I hope you enjoyed taking the journey with me. I hope you are inspired to see that A) Our community is growing worldwide, and we are all connected and stronger by it! B) You can follow Beauty Detox principles no matter where you are, and still enjoy your life. Pick and choose the most important things that are in your control (always start with green salad, no dairy, take digestive enzymes along with you, avoid heavy oily salad dressing, etc.). Guinness and spaghetti are not things you have to give up forever…just don’t eat them every week! And enjoy when you do.

A toute a l’heure! Love, Kimberly

At the heart of The Beauty Detox System and Beauty Detox Foods is improved digestive efficiency. By revving up your body’s ability to effectively and efficiently digest the foods you eat for fuel, you trigger optimal internal cleansing, which helps you achieve your ideal weight and health. That’s why I love this simple massage technique so much – because its core principle is similar to the philosophy found in the Beauty Detox lifestyle.

According to Dr. Stephen Chang, who practices both Western and Chinese medicine, utilizing a two minute massage technique provides a form of internal exercise that cleanses and detoxifies to melt away fat in a manner that is much different than the typical Western external exercises like crunches. While crunches are great for firming up your abdominal muscles, they don’t do anything about the layer of fat that sits on top of them. In fact, one of the persistent myths of Western exercise is that by working out the muscles, you can automatically turn fat into muscle, and that just ‘aint true.

Here’s what really happens anytime you perform a Western-style strength training exercise. The exercises place tiny tears in the muscle fibers. As those micro tears heal, the muscle fiber becomes stronger, leading to firmer (and in some cases larger) muscles. Your fat, on the other hand, remains stubbornly and annoyingly in place unless you engage in a specific program for fat loss. As we’ve discussed in The Beauty Detox System and The Beauty Detox Foods, fat loss comes about as a result of a few different mechanisms:

• Detoxification
• Burning your body fat as fuel

Stored fat serves a few purposes in your body. First, it protects your internal organs. Second, it provides a ready form of energy to be burned as fuel during times of famine. Thirdly, it protects your body from all of the toxins you take in by living and eating in a toxic world. Losing excess fat, then, is a matter of creating ways for your body to burn that fat as fuel by producing an energy deficit between what you eat and what you burn. You must also remove your body’s need to store the fat to protect you from toxins, which is why detoxification is such a huge part of the Beauty Detox program.

So, when you exercise you are doing two things: raising your body’s energy (fuel) requirements and firming up the muscles underneath. In some cases, this can translate as fat loss; however, if you have toxic buildup or you increase your fuel (food) intake in response to exercise, then fat loss may come about very slowly – or not at all.

Many people overestimate the amount of calories they burn during an exercise session. The amount varies from person to person, with some people metabolizing fuel much more efficiently than others. While many things factor into this equation, toxicity is a big part of it. If your fat is trapping toxins and keeping them out of your system, your body will be extremely reluctant to burn fat as fuel because doing so will release those poisons.

Other variables that factor into how quickly your body burns calories during exercise include your current weight, the type of exercise you are doing, and the intensity of that exercise. In many cases, calories burned aren’t that much. For example, according to the Mayo Clinic, if you walk one mile in 30 minutes, you will only burn 102 calories. If you speed up just a bit (that is, increase the intensity of your exercise) and walk 1 ¾ mile in 30 minutes, then you’ll burn about 157 calories. If, however, you increase your food intake in response to your additional exercise, you’ll mostly negate any caloric deficit you achieved while walking.

This doesn’t mean I’m telling you not to exercise. Exercise is an important part of good health, because it strengthens your heart and lungs, helps detoxify you, improves your flexibility, gives you energy, and helps you have the strength and endurance for activities of daily life. If, however, you are exercising to lose weight, then you can’t rely on exercise alone. You also need to detoxify and eat a diet of healthy, naturally high fiber/low-calorie foods like I recommend in The Beauty Detox Foods. When you eat this way, you can eat to satiation and not obsess about calorie counting because the fiber will help fill your belly up as you receive large amounts of easily and quickly absorbed nutrients.

Chinese Medicine Abdominal Massage

The Chinese medicine massage technique I am going to outline below is a different type of exercise altogether. A product of 6,000 years of Eastern wisdom, the massage improves your digestive efficiency by maximizing your body’s ability to detoxify and eliminate waste. The technique can help speed up your digestive system and allows you to eliminate the sludge that builds up in intestines, which can be pounds (!!) of uneliminated waste. When I do it, it is apparent to me the technique is not only physical but also energetic. It’s worth a try, right?

Before you begin, please note that the following people should use caution or avoid using this technique. Don’t use this technique:

• Immediately after a heavy meal
• If you are pregnant
• If you are suffering inflammation of feminine organs including the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, or bladder
• If you have stones of the bladder, kidneys, or gallbladder
• If you have high blood pressure
• If you have a hernia
• If you have intestinal or stomach ulcers
• If you have bleeding in the stomach, brains, or lungs
• (If you aren’t sure if it’s right for you, you can always ask your doctor)

Benefits may include:

• Can help melt adipose tissue
• Improves digestive efficiency
• Detoxifies the intestines
• Improves constipation (the mother of all health/beauty issues!)
• Stimulates the organs in your abdominal region
• Improves circulation in your abdominal region
• May improve conditions such as nausea, vomiting, symptoms of overeating, diarrhea, and indigestion
• Can provide results in about a week of consistent practice

Perform this technique two times per day – before breakfast and just before bed.

1. Lie flat on your back on a firm surface with your abdominal region exposed.
2. Warm up your hands by rubbing them together until they feel hot – about 15 seconds.
3. Place one hand flat on your belly button.
4. Begin rubbing in small circles around your belly button, gradually widening the circles using a firm pressure. Each circle should take about one to two seconds.
5. Focus on heat, which is building up in your abdominal region as you rub.
6. Continue for two minutes, about 40 to 50 circles. Be sure to keep your stomach warm as you perform the exercise.

That’s it! See how you feel and if you (hopefully) notice an improvement in your digestion as your practice regularly.

It you follow the popular media, it’s pretty easy to get confused about the little snippets of information you might hear swirling around here and there about what we should and shouldn’t be eating.

I do see a lot of confusion from readers and clients about the relationship between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Because popular media recommends eating more omega-3 fats and limiting omega-6 fatty acids, many people assume this means omega-3s are good and omega-6s are bad. This is not necessarily true. Both types of fatty acids are essential for good health- but as you’ll see below, it is the ratio between the two types that is of utmost importance for great health. Keep reading!

What Are Fatty Acids Anyway?

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are the product of the breakdown of dietary fat. The cells use them for energetic and metabolic processes. Because your body does not synthesize its own omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids, they are considered “essential fatty acids (EFAs.)” That is, you must get these fatty acids from the foods you eat in order to sustain good health.

Neither omega-3 fatty acids nor omega-6 fatty acids are “bad.” Your body needs both for optimal health; however, it requires a balance between the two in order to function properly. According to an article in Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, the body requires a balance between the two at a ratio of about 1:1. Unfortunately, the typical Western diet has a ratio that is closer to 15:1 to 16.7:1 (and sometimes as high as 30:1!), with the imbalance skewing towards extremely high levels of omega-6 fatty acids. This can lead to lots of detrimental health and beauty issues! To understand why, let’s check out the roles both types of EFAs play in the body.

Role of Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Omega-6 fatty acids play many roles in cell regulation, structure, and protection. These functions are critical. Some of the functions of omega-6 fatty acids in the body include:

• Regulate metabolic function
• Promote immune response, including inflammation
• Promotes normal blood lipid profiles
• Promote platelet aggregation (essential for blood clotting)

Foods containing omega-6 fatty acids are pretty ubiquitous, without trying to seek it out or consume it specifically. It is present in seeds, nuts, whole grains, cereals, avocados, etc. But the reason the average Western diet contains way too much omega-6 fatty acids is the massive consumption of vegetable oils such as sunflower, soybean, and corn oils- not only for cooking, but also through eating processed foods, of which a shockingly high percentage contain these oils. Go ahead and check the label of snack foods! It’s in chips, crackers, frozen foods, etc. etc.

By the way, if you eat vegan products such as Earth Balance or Vegenaise, which I strongly caution against doing, you are eating virtually pure and large amounts of these omega-6 polyunsaturated vegetable oils (!). Like I always say, just because you are a vegan or vegetarian does not automatically mean you are healthy! You have to make good choices and stick to whole foods. Such oil-based products are processed and as far from being a whole food as can be.

Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are far less common in the typical Western diet, which is why the ratio between the two EFAs gets out of whack. Omega-3 fatty acids:

• Reduce and regulate inflammation
• Keeps blood from excessive clotting
• Reduce cytokines, which are involved in inflammatory processes
• Improve insulin response
• Promote healthy cell membranes
• Regulate prostaglandin production

Food sources of omega-3 fatty acids include seeds like chia, flax, and pumpkin, as well as walnuts. It’s also contained in some fish, but there are a lot of contamination issues with fish. Fish basically bathe all day tons of toxins and waste that is dumped into the oceans and waterways daily, which may not be visible to the naked eye but under a microscope could appear quite frightening.

Health Effects of EFA Imbalance

The imbalance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the typical Western diet shows up in our society’s declining health. Health issues related to an EFA imbalance arise primarily from inflammation. Some of these health problems include:

• Inflammatory and chronic pain conditions
• Hardening of the arteries
• Heart disease
• Poor blood lipid profiles
• Clotting disorders
• Hormonal imbalances
• Depression and anxiety
• Autoimmune disease
• Asthma

Rebalancing

The main reason the Western diet is so far out of balance is the amount of processed foods most people eat. Processed foods are extremely high in omega-6 fatty acids because they contain many of the oils and ingredients that are high in omega-6 fatty acids, but not omega-3 fatty acids.

While many health professionals recommend remedying this situation by supplementing omega-3 fatty acids (such as from fish oil, which can often be rancid), I feel there’s a far better way. When you switch to a whole foods diet that relies primarily on the healthy plant foods our bodies crave, including fruits, vegetables, healthy whole grains, as well as some raw nuts and seeds (especially chia, my fav), your diet naturally shifts to the best balance between EFAs to support good health. This type of a diet is very similar to what our ancestors were able to naturally forage, and it is the diet human beings evolved to eat.

Note: Omega-3 fatty acids are converted into longer-chain EPA and DHA fats which are considered “nonessential”, since they can be made from the omega-3 fats found in greens, seeds and nuts. However, people’s ability to convert the omega-3 fatty acids into DHA may vary. Taking an algae-based DHA supplement can be nutritional insurance. Algae is the primary source from which the fish obtain their DHA.

So what’s the bottom line? The best way to balance your EFAs is to minimize processed and fast foods and instead rely on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and healthy whole grains like quinoa, millet and amaranth which are inexpensive to source.  The Beauty Detox program is a very EFA-balanced diet that can help reduce inflammation and leave you feeling better and looking more glowing and healthy than you have in years!

Dear Friends,

I’m thrilled to announce the winners of our Beauty Detox Foods Prize Giveaway!

I really appreciate all of your support and I hope the Beauty Detox Foods principles and recipes will inspire you to make changes that will help you achieve all of your health and beauty goals!

Again, here are all of our amazing prizes:

3 20-minute phone Q&A sessions with me

5 Vitamix 5200 Blenders

11 Sequence Stillmotion Yoga Mats

21 Vapour Beauty Makeup Packs

1 Glow Bio 3-Day Cleanse

And now… here are the lucky winners!!! (An email was sent to you if you are a winner, please check your email and see the note at the bottom of the page about responding to collect your prize).

Phone Q & A Sessions with Me:

Colleen N., Florida

Marilyn P., New York

Emma B., Hawaii

Vitamix Blenders:

Ashley M., Florida

Bailey C., New Jersey

Karen A., California

Melina B., California

Suzanne H., Virginia

Sequence Yoga Mats:

Kayla P., Indiana

Erica S., New York

Mary M., Alabama

Silvia I., California

Margaret K., Illinois

Donna M., New York

Jodi K., Rhode Island

Megan M., Illinois

Brian B., Arizona

Leslie C., Illinois

Sarah A., California

Vapour Makeup Packs:

Carmen M., Louisiana

Jossy F., California

Theresa N., Louisiana

Heather F., California

Christina D., New York

Brian J., Washington

Amber N., Washington

Elizabeth G., Nevada

Alexandra B., Texas

Ursula D., New York

Heidi M., Oregon

Kristin H., North Carolina

Erica N., California

Kasey M.,  Washington

Jan, South Carolina

Nickiey M., Texas

Danica B., Michigan

Ingrid A., New York

Kalen S., New York

Julia P., New Jersey

Jill M., Ohio

Glow Bio 3-Day Set Cleanse:

Tomi J., Minnesota

All winners must reply to the email by April 9th at 11:59pm EST. Failure to reply by the specified date will result in disqualification and another participant will be selected.

Congrats again to all the winners, and thank you all so much for the support for this exciting book launch! We have lots of exciting things coming up, and more contests, prizes and of course lots of new information.

With love,

Kimberly